The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Somebody reblued and chromed parts of this old 12 ga. American gun Co.model O, It was made by Crescent around 1900. Laminated steel bbl. I'm shooting Winchester AA light loads in it and my Belgian double. The AA's are about like a .410 going off.

American Gun CO, Knickerbocker, New Empire, Crescent would put whatever name the buyer wanted on these if they bought a minimum number. These were the main hardware store gun of the 1890's-1900's, and they turn up all the time. I have many ten or more variations of this in 12, 16, and 20 gauge, I think I even have a 410. Both hammer and hammerless, twist barrels and fluid steel, flat and coil mainsprings. The company changed hands and became Stevens eventually, this was Americas working gun, and the main competition for the Belgian imports of that era. Many a young mans backside was peppered by one of these after the farmer caught him feeling up his daughter out in the barn. I see this one has the characteristic wrist crack all of them got sooner or later. I am told a new stock can be custom made now but the cost is two to three times the retail value of the gun. I have many shotguns, but I have had one of these on duty here since 1986, I pack black powder buckshot loads for it.

Somebody polished on that one and reblued it. Cool old gun though.